The present invention relates to a meal service cart used in an aircraft.
There are provided passenger seats, lavatory units, galley units and the like arranged in the small closed space inside an aircraft without any elbowroom left. Recently, with developments of engines or the like, aircrafts could fly for a longer period of time, so that demand for a utility space is increasing among users.
However, arranging an independent utility equipment inside such limited space in an aircraft leads to disadvantages such as decrease in passenger seat space, increase in overall weight and the like, so that passengers were unable to receive a satisfactory service.
On the other hand, the meal service for passengers in an aircraft is provided using a meal service cart. The meal service cart is stored to a predetermined storage space inside a galley when the meal service is finished.
The meal service cart has a height of approximately 1 meter, a height appropriate for providing drink service to an adult in a stand-up condition.
The present invention aims to provide a utility space without decreasing the space for passenger seats by providing a utility function to a meal service cart, and using the meal service cart after finishing the meal service as a bar counter.
The in-flight meal service cart of the present invention includes a box-shaped main body forming a storage space therein, and a utility mechanism equipped so as to be rotatable to the box-shaped main body. The utility mechanism is provided movably between a position of being stored to the main body and a rotated position of being vertical to the side wall board, and the box-shaped main body is provided with a supporting means for supporting the utility mechanism in a horizontal condition when the utility mechanism is in a position of being vertical to the side wall board.
The utility mechanism is a counter board, and is equipped on top of the ceiling board of the box-shaped main body, or is equipped so as to be inserted to the gap of the both side wall boards of the box-shaped main body comprised of two boards forming a gap in between.
The supporting means of the utility mechanism are front and rear doors, and the utility mechanism is supported in a horizontal condition by the front and rear doors in an opened position, when the utility mechanism is rotated to a position of being vertical to the side wall board. Or, the supporting means of the utility mechanism is a supporting post provided so as to be projected from said side wall board, and the utility mechanism is supported in a horizontal condition by the projected supporting post, when the utility mechanism is rotated to a position of being vertical to said side wall board.
Moreover, the outer surfaces of the box-shaped main body and outer surfaces of the utility mechanism being exposed during an equipped position are formed from a special fireproof material, and all of the outer wall surfaces of the meal service cart could disclose a special fireproof material at least during takeoff and landing of an aircraft.